Savannah mayoral candidates Jeff Felser and Edna Jackson are encountering questions about their campaign conduct as they head into today’s runoff.

Since the Nov. 6 general election, when neither of the two incumbent City Council members won the mayor’s race outright, they have continued to collect campaign contributions, send out fliers and beseech voters to head to the polls.

Come back to savannahnow.com after 7 p.m. tonight to see results from Savannah and Tybee Island runoffs and pick up Wednesday's Savannah Morning News for complete coverage.

Some of those efforts appear contrary to the law.

Jackson’s campaign received a $2,500 campaign contribution from a Teamsters Union-affiliated committee on Nov. 14, which was duly reported on her financial disclosure reports.

State law, explained on the website of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, states that no candidate or committee shall receive from any entity a contribution that, for a general runoff election, exceeds $1,300.

Jackson did not respond to three phone calls left for her Monday night.

Click the links to watch Felser and Jackson discuss the issues during a roundtable discussion: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

J.B. Blackburn Jr., Jackson’s former campaign treasurer, said the contribution was pledged the week before the Nov. 6 general election and the check was received on Election Day. State law allows a general election contribution of $2,500.

Blackburn couldn’t explain why the campaign’s financial report listed the contribution as being received on Nov. 14. It also described it as a contribution for the runoff. He was not the campaign’s treasurer during that reporting period.

Felser’s campaign is facing questions about the proper use of photographs used in a flier mailed out over the weekend.

Chef Joe Randall contacted the Savannah Morning News on Monday to complain that a photograph of him with Felser was used on the flier without his permission. The photograph was taken earlier this year at the grand opening of the Food Lion on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

“It gives the implication that I’m with him all the way,” Randall said. “I didn’t endorse him or Edna. I live outside the city. I can’t even vote in the election. No way did he have my permission to use my likeness.”

Felser questioned the timing of Randall’s complaint, and believed residents should have the chance to vote today without any “eleventh-hour negativity.”

“This is a bunch of desperate people looking for desperate things the day before the election,” he said. “My little photo is a non-issue. They’ve been on my website for 10 months.”

Randall was not named, nor did anything on the flier state anyone pictured was endorsing him, Felser said.

Use of the photos creates another issue. At least one, if not all, of the six photographs used in the Felser ad were taken by photographers for the Morning News or by photographers for Spotted, an online feature of the Morning News’ website, savannahnow.com.

One, taken in 2000, shows Felser and former state Rep. Regina Thomas reviewing vote totals. The flier shows it was taken by the late Bob Morris, a Morning News photographer.

“No one from the Felser campaign contacted my office to request the use of the photo(s) in question,” said Michael C. Traynor, publisher of the Savannah Morning News. “Using Savannah Morning News and affiliates photos without our permission is a violation of our copyright.”

Felser believes some of the other photos were provided by other media outlets, but of the Morris photo, he said: “If they want to bring a case against me after I’m mayor, they can do that.”

Felser added he had tried to run a clean, transparent campaign. He could have called out Jackson for receiving an illegal campaign contribution or for using people’s names in an October endorsement letter when they did not endorse her, but he had not, he said.

The Morning News compared names from an Oct. 6 letter to a Sunday advertisement that listed supporters. Several names on the first list were not on the second. Late Monday, the paper reached Barnard Portman, who confirmed that he had not approved his name being included in Jackson’s campaign literature.

“I hadn’t authorized anybody to use my name for any advertisement,” he said. “I’m not saying who I’m voting for. I think my vote is my business. I didn’t feel it was proper to use my name without my permission.”

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Failed to mention the illegal use of city property by the Jackson campaign when she held a rally at the Moses Jackson center (check Edna's campaign Facebook page, before it's taken down). I love how the SMN is comparing the use of old public photographs to illegal contributions and unethical behavior and calling all things even. This is typical of the paper throughout this campaign.

J. B. Blackburn, Jr., the son of the city attorney, is the campaign treasurer for Edna Jackson? This may not be an illegal relationship, but it's far too cozy. You'd think that the SMN might have mentioned this very relevant piece of information.

Mikey GROW UP and leave the Beatnic days behind and then get that diaper changed.I did not take sides but I did make up my mind by myself.You were wrong from get go in your nasty personal attack. We see who you voted for so SHUT UP!You want respect be respectful .You do not know me from your rear end so MYOB! It is childish attitudes like yours that has ruined this city.LAST TIME I READ JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY PERFECT PERSON AND FROM WHAT I SEE HAS NOT RETURNED .You are't him so quit trying to act like you are all that . People do not have to be perfect to comment.We all have our opinions and have the right to express it.This should get very interesting very soon. As for the dirt on Felser I did not hear any but I sure did on all other canidates. Either he is squeaky clean or did a beautiful snow job clean or had a great clean up crew or dirt trotters got lazy. See my point is I believe if you are good enough to run for office and you have a plan the least you can do is get off your butt and show me face to face you are worth my effort to vote for you.Only Felser did that.Understand ,where I am coming from . Now who ever the mayor might be: GET A CROSSWALK IN FRONT OF SOUTH CHATHAM LIBRARY FROM THE MALL BACK LOT BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS KILLED!

Comparing using photos that your photographers took and posted online to Edna's illegal campaign contributions. Really guys? We know you are for Edna, thats cool. We understand. That is your choice. But come on. I always thought a newspaper was supposed to be an objective source for information for the public. Naive of me I know. I know I personally would enjoy your paper more if you weren't 'for' any candidate and just simply reported the news without bias. Just my 2 cents. Delete if you must :(